We aren’t typically the kind of travelers that go to the same place twice. Our travel bucket-list is just too big, and our wanderlust spirits have us always on the hunt for new destinations to explore. That being said, there have been a handful of spots that we will continue coming back to, year after year, and Paradisus Los Cabos is one of those places!
One of the most frequently asked questions we get is “with all of that travel and fancy food, how do you stay in shape?!” And our secret is… Instagram filters!! No, but seriously. It’s a challenge! (Especially when you’re foodies like us!) We recently vacationed at the Paradisus Los Cabos, where endless decadent food and drinks were at our disposal. It was all too good and too tempting to pass up!! Here are some of our tricks for indulging, and not even feeling sorry about it!
START THE DAY RIGHT
We started every morning at the Paradisus with a dip in the pool - which is easy when you have a swim up suite!! We’d make a game out of who could swim the most laps, who could come up with the most creative routines, who could kick the fastest… You get the picture. After a half and hour we had blood circulating, metabolism spiked, and we were ready to “dive” into breakfast! (get it?!)
EAT YOUR VEGGIES FIRST
Maybe it’s because we’re California kids, or maybe we’re just super trendy… but we LOVE green juice. At the Paradisus they make a fresh squeezed green juice that’s out of this world! We’d start every breakfast with it, and we found that it would quickly fill us up! We’d still order our usual waffles and eggs benedict… but we made sure we got our greens in first. We’re all about balance. ;)
SAY YES TO ACTIVITIES!
While we are big fans of “getting our tan on”, there’s only so much sitting still that we can do! The Paradisus activity staff had numerous activities throughout the day to keep busy bodies like us occupied. From yoga, to pool aerobics and mixology classes by the beach… there was always something to do! Staying on the move kept our appetites peaked - and we weren’t mad about it!
END THE DAY WITH A SUNSET BEACH WALK
One of the final ways we trick ourselves into exercising is taking a romantic walk to watch the sunset. At the Paradisus we had the entire beach to ourselves… so we usually ended up walking a little longer and further than normal. It was peaceful, refreshing, and sparked amazing conversations. Our sunset walks were some of our favorite memories while in Cabo - and by the time we made it back to the resort we were more than ready to eat dinner!
LET GO AND ENJOY
Ok. So there you have some of our “tricks” for having your cake while you’re on vacation, and eating it too. But our biggest tip for you is to just let go!!! Enjoy where you are, and don’t worry about anything else. At the Paradisus Los Cabos the food and drinks were SO good, our motto quickly became “YOLO” (You Only Live Once)! Vacation is meant to be enjoyed… so enjoy it!!! As we like to say, “Our diet starts tomorrow.” ;)
Those that travel often know how much international travel can shape you. No matter where we are, we’re constantly being pushed and challenged in new and invigorating ways. There’s no better way to learn about the beautiful world we live in than by being immersed into new cultures, skills, and traditions. From learning how to cook traditional Japanese cuisine in Kyoto to learning how to cha cha on the Caribbean seas, we’ve been able to experience some pretty awesome things.
We just returned home from the beautiful Paradisus Los Cabos resort - an all-inclusive resort located in between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. This trip was the PERFECT infusion of pampering relaxation and sensational cultural experiences. Here’s what we learned!
TEQUILA AND MEZCAL TASTING
Tequila vs. Mezcal. Do you know the difference? Have you ever had Mezcal? They were both born in Mexico, but are very different. They are both made from the agave plant, but the process of making Mezcal involves baking part of the agave plant in an underground oven. This gives Mescal its distinct smokey taste. We learned this at our incredible tequila and mezcal tasting at Paradisus. We had the chance to taste multiple tequilas and mezcals, which presents a perfect opportunity to learn the differences and what we prefer. This is not an experience for getting wild and drunk (although it would be possible), but rather one for refining taste and learning what you like. Both of us learned through this that we preferred añejo tequila to both reposado and blanco. With Mezcal, we liked it all. We are fans of the smokier stuff. This is the perfect type of experience to indulge in at Paradisus. You’re getting culture, cuisine, and some valuable knowledge you can bring home. So awesome!
YOGA (The Paradisus way)
What’s better than some poolside zen to start your day? We try to attend yoga classes as much as possible when we travel - as every culture approaches it differently. At the Paradisus, we learned new stretching, breathing, and meditating techniques we’d never seen before! From balancing on our tip toes to a new take on the downward dog, we were motivated and challenged by our energetic instructors… And can you beat this view?! Definitely one of our favorite yoga sessions to date!
CIGAR ROLLING
Bobby here. I’ve always been fascinated by cigars, so when I heard that the Paradisus team would be hosting a cigar rolling class, I was just a little excited. Ok, I was REALLY excited. We had THE Cabo Cigar Roller at Paradisus with an amazing setup of cigars, and soon-to-be-made cigars. He first talked us through and demonstrated how he would roll a cigar. He showed us the filler tobacco and how he rolls it together to form the insides of the cigar. Next, we learned about the final wrapping leaf, and how it is normally the highest quality of the tobacco leaves. We used a small amount of a glue-like paste to help the wrapping tobacco adhere to the filler, and then used a small Chaveta knife to properly cut the leaves. Once the cigar is rolled, you use a circular tool (essentially a mini cookie cutter) to cut the last piece that goes on the front of the cigar. After that, you are ready to light it up and enjoy! My cigar was decent… but let’s just say this whole experience made me appreciate the art of rolling cigars that much more! Thank you Paradisus and Cabo Cigar Roller!
TEPPANYAKI COOKING
Alli here, and you read that right. Probably not the first cultural experience when you think of Mexico… but hey - that’s the beauty of staying at the Paradisus! They happen to have one of the best teppanyaki restaurants in Mexico, so what better place to learn! I learned how to flip, grill, and perfectly season an amazing array of veggies and meats. And coming from a girl that has difficulty multi tasking - it’s a lot harder than it looks! I think I’ll leave this one to the experts at the Paradisus.
Even in a short, 3 day weekend, we came home from the Paradisus Los Cabos with new skills, new friends, and tons of new memories. We didn’t even have time to attend the tortilla making, ride horses on the beach at sunset, learn to roll sushi, or learn about cocktails at the mixology class! Guess we have to save some things for next time, right? ;)
We just returned from a four-day trip to the Paradisus Los Cabos by Melia resort, nestled right in between San José del Cabo, and Cabo San Lucas. Four days was just enough time for us to really get used to life at an “all-inclusive”, and let us tell you… it truly is the BEST kind of life. Here’s why.
IT’S WORRY FREE, AND EASY AS CAN BE.
First of all, you never have to carry around your money, credit cards, your id… anything! We put them all in our safe and didn’t get them out until we were packing our bags to leave. Upon arrival, the Paradisus staff gives you bracelets to wear during your stay at the resort, and those bracelets are all you need.
Your every need is met before you even know it. The staff at Paradisus Los Cabos were some of the most attentive staff we have ever experienced. Whether it was refilling our drinks, calling us a taxi to go into town, or bringing us cold towels when we arrived back to the resort - they thought of everything.
Something special about Paradisus Los Cabos is what they call, "Eye Candy". They like to surprise their guest with moments of excitement that could be a flash mob, a love note written in the sand, or a sudden performance on the roof of one of their restaurants. We got to see all of these! One of our favorites was on Valentine’s Day when they had a special cupcake delivery to the pool! Talk about eye candy, hehe.
YOU EAT AND DRINK. ALL THE TIME.
Now as you probably already know, we are big foodies. We LOVE to eat. Not only is the food at Paradisus Los Cabos REALLY good, there’s a lot of it. And so many restaurants to try! We found ourselves “grazing” every couple of hours… a pizza here, a margarita there, some ice cream by the pool, another margarita, some chips and guacamole in bed… You get the picture. To us, nothing says “vacation” more than constant snacking. And when it’s really good and really fresh, we don’t even feel bad about it!
YOU LIVE IN YOUR BATHING SUIT.
Forget about the constant worry of “What am I going to wear?” or “Did I pack enough socks?” At Paradisus Los Cabos, all you need is your swimsuit and some sunscreen! Pretty much the only time we’d take our suits off was to go to dinner (and we’d usually change back into them for a night swim after)! Sometimes we’d even rock our bath robes over our suits when we were feeling extra luxurious…. Because #vacation!!
IT BASICALLY BECOMES YOUR “VACATION HOME”.
After a couple of days at Paradisus Los Cabos, we begin to really feel like we owned the place. We figured out our favorite spot by the pool, our favorite bartender (What’s up, Omar!!), our snacking “routine” (very important), and we knew most of the staff - and even the guests - by name! We love making friends when we travel, and here everyone felt like family. It made having to leave THAT much harder.
If you like worry-free vacationing, complete with delicious food, top-shelf drinks, lots of pool time and new friends, then you’ll LOVE the Paradisus Los Cabos. Don’t take our word for it though - book a trip ASAP. And tell us when you’re going. We’ll meet you there. ;)
For those of you that are new to traveling, and anxious to explore, but not sure how. And for those of you that have been bit by the travel bug but are short on vacation time… We just discovered a location that we believe is the PERFECT combination of adventure & culture, and ease & comfort.
The Royal Suites Punta de Mita by Palladium Hotel Group is everything you’d want in an all-inclusive, PLUS the rich culture and authentic Mexico flavor you’d want to to explore. This is a rare all-inclusive that truly does highlight and appreciate local culture - and that is extremely hard to find!!
Here are some ways we maximized our stay at the Royal Suites!
1. TRAVEL TIME :: When making the most out of a short weekend trip, it’s crucial that travel time is very minimal. Lucky for us, getting to the Royal Suites was a breeze! We flew out of our local airport in Orange County and made sure we had a 2-hour direct flight to Puerto Vallarta. Before we could say “Hola!” we were being greeted with margaritas and smiling faces at the airport, and from there it’s only a short taxi ride to the Royal Suites!
2. MAKE A PLAN :: We know what you’re thinking. Plan when you’re on vacation?! What is that?? But hear us out! Since you only have a few days - plan out the “must-see’s” that you want to do during your stay. Whether that’s horseback riding on the beach or a massage treatment, get those set up before you go so you don’t have to worry about them when you get there. The last thing you want to do on your vacation is spend your time contemplating what to do, where to go, etc. Have everything set up so that you can relax by the pool with a margarita as much as possible. ;)
3. DON’T DO IT ALL :: This might sound contradicting from our last tip, but listen. You’re on vacation. Escape from expectations. At a place like the Royal Suites, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all of the countless entertainment and activity options...
4. TURN OFF :: Turn off your phones. Turn off your e-mail. Turn off “work mode”. For most of you, this might be the hardest, but most needed tip you’ll get. And we stand by it. For this one weekend, forget about what you have on Monday and LIVE IN THE MOMENT! Take a walk on the beach, bring a deck of cards, drink champagne from your jacuzzi tub… You deserve it. And your sanity will thank you!
We stayed at the Royal Suites from a Thursday through a Sunday, which some might think is too short of a trip when traveling to another country. We beg to differ. We were able to see, do, and eat everything we wanted - and came home feeling completely revived and refreshed! International travel doesn’t mean you need to use up all your vacation days and clear out your schedule. You truly can have a relaxing and fulfilling getaway - all within a long weekend!
